The almost-impossibly gorgeous Gardner McKay only starred in one TV series (Adventures in Paradise, 1959-62) and two minor films (1964's The Pleasure Seekers and 1968's I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew), but their titles more or less sum up his own persona and appeal: that of a lifelong pleasure seeker and adventurer. Although his film and TV credits are few, McKay became an overnight sensation; his cultured background, and a childhood spent partially in Paris, lent him a finesse and presence that other Hollywood hunks lacked.
McKay left the Hollywood fast lane almost as quickly as he had entered it; an accomplished and talented sportsman, artist, photographer, and writer, perhaps he felt too boxed in by his glamour boy image. Having lived everywhere from Brazil to Egypt to New York, McKay spent the last years of his life in Hawaii, where he passed away from cancer in 2001.
Visit the extensive Gardner McKay fan site here.
Thanks, TJB!
ReplyDeleteHe was utterly dreamy.
Now I know why Alison Rose was smitten.
His name almost always pops up when we're remarking on the hunks of yesteryear. For such a brief career, he certainly made an impact! He barely got to log any screen time in "The Pleasure Seekers" what with Ann-Margret, Pamela Tiffin and Carol Lynley being the focus. Handsome man (didn't he eventually suffer from premature baldness in an era when men usually didn't clip it all down?)
ReplyDeleteImpossibly handsome!
ReplyDeleteloved, adventures in paradise. i was a child....
ReplyDeleteSo handsome...
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